Australia Student Visa Requirements

Studying in Australia is the best way to explore the Australian way of living at the same time developing new skills. As a student willing to apply for student visa in Australia you firstly need to check if you meet all the requirements and should apply for Student Visa (Subclass 500) on Department of Home Affairs Website.

Subclass 500 visa holders in Australia will be allowed to:

• participate in an eligible course of study
• bring family members to Australia
• and stay Up to 5 years and in line with your enrolment
• can only work up to 40 hours in a fortnight
• should hold Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)

The following is a list of documents required to apply for an Australian Student Visa (Subclass 500)

• A valid passport
• Passport sized photograph
• ECOE (Electronic Confirmation of Enrollment)
• Academic documents
• Work experience certificates (if applicable)
• Evidence of English Language Proficiency Tests (IELTS, TOEFL, PTE etc.)
• Evidence of Financial ability (which should cover your ability to pay tuition fees, living expense, health insurance, return airfare)
• Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) statement
• Details of OSHC (Overseas Student Health Cover)
• Statement of Purpose
• Under 18 students should provide parental consent documents and proof of accommodation.

These are the basic requirements for applying for a student visa to Australia. You may need to satisfy other additional requirements if necessary.

We at Edwise Foundation will support you from an initial stage of your application to university/college until visa application. Our team of experts will guide you in every step and follow the visa guidelines very strictly to make your application strong and hassle free.

What can I do with as an Australian Student Visa (Subclass 500 ) holder?

You are allowed to:

• participate in an eligible course of study
• bring family members to Australia
• and stay Up to 5 years and in line with your enrolment
• can only work up to 40 hours in a fortnight
• should hold Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)

Australia Student Visa process

Australian Government provides the opportunity to study in Australia to all the students around the world. The steps below will help you to understand the process for getting an Australia student visa.

Career Counseling/Consultation

The first step for applying for a student visa to Australia is getting detailed information about the country, visa process, English language requirements for your desired course, financial and academic requirements, etc.

Test Preparation

Start preparing for your English language proficiency test (IELTS/TOEFL/PTE) and sit for your test.

Documents required for Admission Offer Process

After you secure the required scores in your IELTS/TOEFL/PTE, start your application for an Offer Letter. Please make sure you know what courses you are going to study at which level and which university you are applying to.

Documents required for an Australian Student Visa Application:

• Complete academic documents
• Passport
• IELTS/TOEFL/PTE score sheet.
• Work experience (if any)
• University/Colleges application form
• Statement of Purpose
• Marriage certificate (if married)
• Time to receive offer letter is between 1 day to 4 weeks. Some universities/colleges may take interview via phone call, skype or zoom.

Receiving Offer Letter

After assessing your application and if you meet all the requirements, the university/college usually provides the conditional offer letter. A conditional offer letter means you should satisfy the mentioned conditions in your offer letter (usually financial documents, and sometimes may require some additional documents) for admission.

Financial Documentation

For a student to apply for a student visa in Australia, they need the proof of financial documents that they are capable to pay the tuition fees, living expenses and other expenses during their studies in Australia.

Thus, you need to provide the proof of you being financially strong.

GTE Approval Request

You need to provide GTE (Genuine Temporary Entrant) documents to the university/college for verification. GTE documents include proof of funds and financial documents, SoP and other required documents mentioned in your conditional offer letter. Your university/college may take your interview.

Payment of Fees

After the university/college approves your GTE, you need to proceed for payment of tuition fees and other fees as mentioned in your offer letter.

Also, you need to obtain No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Ministry of Education at this stage. NOC is required by banks in Nepal to transfer your fees to foreign universities.

Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (eCOE)

After the payment is received by the university/college, you will be provided an eCOE (Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment). The eCOE is a letter issued by the university in support of your application for a student visa.

Visa Application Lodgment

The final stage of your application process is visa application. The visa application for Australia is lodged online.

Visa Interview Preparation

The Australian High Commission may take interview and ask questions regarding your documents, financials, reasons to study in Australia, future plans etc.

We suggest you to prepare for your interview after you lodge your visa application with the help of your consultancy or with experts.

Visa Decision

This is the moment you have been waiting for and always hope the result to be positive. There are always 2 outcomes of the visa:

• Visa Granted: – Start celebrating and prepare for your journey to Australia.
• Visa Refused: – You probably don’t want to hear this. There may be various reasons for your visa refusal and you may want to review your application and asses where you went wrong.
• Refund Process (if visa refused): – If your visa is refused you need to send an application to your university/college for refund of amount you deposited for your eCOE. It may take anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks to get your amount refunded.

On Arrival Support

We recommend you to arrive in Australia 2-3 days before your orientation so that you have enough time to make yourself comfortable in Aussie climate.

Also, you should contact your university/college as soon as your visa is approved for arranging accommodation and contact at least a week prior for an airport pickup. Alternatively, you can also choose not to stay on campus accommodation and stay with your family/friends.

Attending Orientation

You need to attend the orientation of your university/college where you get chances to meet other students, teachers and get clear idea of how to start your study journey. You will also be provided with information about the rules and regulations and services offered by the institution.

Now, you are all set to start your study in Australia and we wish you all the best for your future ahead!

Australia student visa application fees

The student visa application fee for Australia is paid after you lodge your visa online in Australian Government, Department of Home Affairs website. You can check our blogs for the requirement and process to apply a student visa.

The application fee for student visa (subclass 500) is currently AUD 620. The visa fees are reviewed every year on 1^st July. There may be additional fees if you are applying with your dependents. Please check the Australian Government, Department of Home Affairs website for more details.

CoE for Australia Student Visa

CoE (Confirmation of Enrollment) is a letter issued by the university in support of your application for a student visa.

It contains the information about yourself and your education provider, the program you are accepted for, duration of the program, tuition fees, your English test details and details of Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).

When will you receive your COE?

University/Colleges will issue your COE after you meet all the admission requirements and pay your tuition deposit.

Can I apply my student visa without a COE?

No, your education provider must issue a COE for you to apply your student visa.

Australia Student Visa Processing Time

As a student willing to apply for student visa in Australia you firstly need to check if you meet all the requirements and should apply for Student Visa (Subclass 500) on Department of Home Affairs Website.

After applying for the visa you will then need to wait for the decision and the time to receive a decision may vary.

Processing time for Australian visa depends on various factors such as:

• Whether you have provided all required documents
• How quickly you can respond to additional requests or information
• How long will it take for officials to verify your provided information
• The load of applications

It is strongly recommended to apply more than a month in advance before start date of your class. And you should always keep an eye on current processing times on the Department of Home Affairs website.

Minimum IELTS score for Australia student visa

To study in Australia, every educational institution requires students to meet the minimum language requirement. English language tests ensures that the students possess the required skills to read, write, speak and understand the English language.

The minimum IELTS requirement is differed between education providers. Some of the courses like Nursing, Law or Education tend to have higher requirement than other courses. For those who are unable to meet the requirement for the desired courses, they have English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) as an option as a pathway.

Generally, students need to meet following minimum IELTS requirements for:

• Diploma: – Overall 5.5 with no band less than 5.0
• Bachelor: – Overall 6.0 with no band less than 5.5
• Master: – Overall 6.5 with no band less than 6
• Nursing: – Overall 7.0 with no band less than 7.0

We strongly suggest you to contact your education provider or education consultancy for getting correct information about IELTS requirement of your desired course.

Australia Student Visa Checklist

The important step in your Australian visa application is document submission. The Australian High Commission usually asks you to submit notarized or certified copies of original documents.

A little mistake while submitting your documents may have a negative effect on your visa application.

Thus, Before you apply for an Australian student visa make sure to consult with an expert or check the Department of Home Affairs visa checklist tools.

Usually, you need to submit following documents while applying a Australian Student Visa:

1. A valid passport
2. Passport sized photograph
3. ECOE (Electronic Confirmation of Enrollment)
4. Academic documents
5. Work experience certificates (if applicable)
6. Evidence of English Language Proficiency Tests (IELTS, TOEFL, PTE etc.)
7. Evidence of Financial ability (which should cover your ability to pay tuition fees, living expense, health insurance, return airfare)
8. Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) statement
9. Details of OSHC (Overseas Student Health Cover)
10. Statement of Purpose
11. Under 18 students should provide parental consent documents and proof of accommodation.